“Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it” Edmund Burke

The History Department Ethos

The History Department at St Bonaventure’s develops a love of learning about and from the past. To help our students do this, we ensure that our lessons are creative, innovative and develop key skills. Also, as London, and further afield, is thriving with opportunities to delve into the past, we have many opportunities to discover what life in the past was like and what impact it has had on our lives today. 

The History Team

Ms P. Sood – Curriculum Leader

Miss S.Patel – Assistant Curriculum Leader

Mr R. Lennox – Curriculum Leader for Politics and Teacher of History

Miss G. Adu – Teacher of History

Mr P. Sanchez  – Teacher of History and Geography

Mr J. Large – Teacher of History and Geography

Dr S. Saxby – Teacher of History and Religious Education

 

St Bonaventure History Department Curriculum Intent.

 

We aim to create the very best historians and entwine knowledge and skills. We challenge students to think, act and speak like those working in the field would: to research thoroughly, to weigh-up evidence, to understand chronology, to evaluate  sources and historical interpretations and develop arguments. We do this by a consistent approach across the department ensuring all students develop the range of skills needed to become confident in their own opinions, make well supported judgements and expressing them articulately using subject specific historical vocabulary. Our curriculum at St Bon’s goes far beyond what is taught in lessons, for whilst we want students to achieve the very best examination results possible, we believe our curriculum goes beyond what is examinable. As a department we believe that the transferable skills gained in our subject are essential for life in the 21st century. We teach students the importance of challenging the provenance of information, evaluating different interpretations, and processing large amounts of information to create a coherent argument. We teach empathy and tolerance and an understanding of how history has created the world we live in today and make links to citizenship and Fundamental British Values.

 

As a department we define the powerful knowledge our students need and help them recall it through staff who know the content thoroughly and having a carefully planned curriculum which builds on previous knowledge and helps students understand topics in a wider context. We use Google Classroom consistently to provide links to further reading and revision resources. We aim to help students better understand the world they are growing up in. Our choices of GCSE and A-Level exam boards ensure students study a wide range of history and are able to make comparisons within and across periods thus being fully equipped for the study of history at a higher level or for work in the field.

Extra Curricular Activities

A wide range of extra-curricular activities are on offer. These enhance student experiences of the broad range of topics taught in History.  These include:

• The Imperial War Museum
• The Cabinet War Rooms
• National Maritime Museum

In addition, there are regular workshops to commemorate events such as Black History Month, major historical events and the Holocaust.

 

Skills developed in History:

• Problem solving
• Critical analysis
• How to construct an argument
• Excellent communication & writing skills
• How to handle & analyse data
• Research skills
• How to select  and use evidence
• Synthesising ideas

 

From ‘Which?’ Magazine on the most valuable careers

“…Historians are regarded as having had an education that trains their minds to assemble, organise and present facts and opinions and this is a very valuable quality in many walks of life and careers…History is an excellent preparation for very many jobs…”
Which? Magazine

Many Historians go on to become lawyers, managers, journalists, bankers, businessmen, teachers, judges, detectives, politicians, archaeologists, museum curators, librarians, UN Ambassadors, and world leaders.

Here is a list of some History Graduates:

• Gordon Brown Ex-Prime Minister (Edinburgh)
• Sir Trevor MacDonald  Newsreader
• Lord John Sainsbury CEO of Sainsbury’s (Oxford)
• Jonathon Ross TV Presenter and Critic 
• Diane Abbot (Oxford)
• Sacha Baron Cohen, (Ali G) (Oxford)
• Chris Martin Singer of Coldplay (UCL)
• George Bush Former US President

Key Stage Three and 4 Overview of Study

Year 7

In Key Stage 3 students have two hours of History a week.

	Themes covered
Term 1.1 Term 1.2	The Romans Medieval Realms 1066-1500
Term 2.1 Term 2.2	The Tudors The Stuarts
Term 3.1 Term 3.2	The Stuarts Local History

 

Year 8

	Themes covered
Term 1.1 Term 1.2	The Slave Trade The Civil Rights Movement
Term 2.1 Term 2.2	The Road to Indian Independence Expansion, Trade and Industry 1750-1900
Term 3.1 Term 3.2	Expansion, Trade and Industry 1750-1900 The Russian Revolution

 

Year 9

	Themes covered
Term 1.1 Term 1.2	World War One Genocide
Term 2.1 Term 2.2	World War Two The Cold War
Term 3.1 Term 3.2	Terrorism Immigration

 

Key Stage 4 

Paper 1: Crime and Punishment c1000 to the Present Day

Paper 2: Superpower Relations 1945-91 and Henry VIII and his Ministers 1509-1540.

Paper 3: Germany 1919-39

This course is 100% exam based. In Key Stage 4 students have 5 hours of teaching time over two weeks.

The Exam Board is Edexcel.

Link to Specification

 

Key Stage 5

Edexcel History A Level Route F  – Searching for Rights and Freedoms in the 20th Century

In Key Stage 5 students have 5 hours of teaching time per week.

 

	Topic	% of qualification
Paper One	In Search of the American Dream: the USA, c1917–96	30
Paper Two	India, c1914–48: the road to independence	20
Paper Three	Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors 1485-1603	30
Coursework	Margaret Thatcher Case Study	20

Edexcel History A Level Curriculum

 

Key Stage 3 Reading List

• Rome The Empire – Walter Robson.

• Medieval Realms – Walter Robson.

• The Making Of The United Kingdom – Fiona Reynoldson & David Taylor.

• The Black Peoples Of The Americas – John D Clare.

• Industrial Britain – Christine Counsell & Chris Street.

• Challenge And Change. A World Study After 1919 – Phillip Ingram.

• Peace And War – Colin Shepherd, Andy Reid , Chris Shepherd.

 

Key Stage 4 Reading List

Edexcel Textbook – Crime and Punishments c1000-present day Series Editor Angela Leonard

Edexcel Textbook – Germany 1919-39  Series Editor Angela Leonard

Edexcel Textbook – Superpower Relations 1945-1991  Series Editor Angela Leonard

Edexcel Textbook – Henry VIII and his Ministers 1509-1540  Series Editor Angela Leonard

Edexcel GCSE Modern World History Ben Walsh

 

 

 

Key Stage 5 Reading List

Rosemary Rees, Paper 1&2 Searching for Rights and freedoms in the 20th century, (Pearson 2019)

Robin Bunce and Laura Gallagher, Edexcel AS History, Unit 1: Pursuing Life and Liberty: Equality in the USA, 1945-1968 (Pearson, 2009)

Peter Clements, Prosperity Depression and the New Deal Third Edition, Access to History (Hodder Education, 2005)

David Mauk and John Oakland, American Civilization (Routledge, sixth edition, 2014)

Derrick Murphy, Kathryn Cooper and Mark Waldron, The United States 1776–1992 (Collins, 2001)

Vivienne Sanders, Civil Rights in the USA, 1945–1968, Access to History (Hodder Education, 2008)

Doug and Susan Willoughby, The USA 1917–45, Heinemann Advanced History (Heinemann, 2000)

Ian Copland, India 1885–1947: The Unmaking of an Empire (Routledge, 2001)

Tim Leadbeater, Britain and India 1845–1947 (Hodder, 2008)

Rosemary Rees, Britain and the Nationalist Challenge in India 1900–47 (Pearson, 2010)

Alison Gundy, Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors 1485-1603 (Pearson 2016)

Mary Dicken and Nicholas Fellows, England 1485-1603 (Hodder 2016)

Also from the Historical Association “Recommended Reads” – please copy and  paste this link in your browser to access:  file:///N:/HA_Historical_Fiction_list%20(4).pdf

Useful websites

Key Stage Three-BBC Bitesize Website

Key Stage Four – BBC Bitesize Website, Seneca Learning and GCSE Pod

Key Stage Five – Seneca Learning.

 

Student Support

 

GCSE Study Support: Tuesday Lunchtime both weeks Ms Sood, and Ms Patel.

A-level Study Support: Thursday after school with Ms Sood Week 1.

Lower School History Club Thursday lunchtime both weeks with Ms Adu and Ms Sood